Improvement in railroad-rail joints



2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. B. IBBOT'SON,

RAILROAD RAIL-JOINTS. No.17'3, 01Z. Patented Feb. 1, 1876. I

N-PEFERS, PHOTO-LITHOGPAPHE. w SMINGTON. D C.

1 UNIT D STATES .O FEE ALFRED BuoKineiaAMiBB otrsonf, 0F s EFFmLu-[EnGANu ,iM ovEMEnT il N RA t Ro om JOINTS,

1 Specificationprming part of Letters Patent No. 17

3,012, dated Februamy.1, 1876 application filed November 27, 1869. 1

means of a combined fastening device, consisting of a metal sheath orclip, formed in one piece with such of the internal parts as areintended to touch the rails, being formed with inclined flattenedsurfaces or seats throughout its entire length, which fit against andcorrespond with the inclined or sloping portions under the heads andupper portions of the base of the rail, the same being .held tightlyagainst these said parts of the rails, when fixed thereon, by means ofsupporting external fish-plates having inclined edges, to fit againstthe corresponding external parts of the sheath, and which fish-platesare operated upon by one or more bolts onset-screws passing through thefish-plates, sheath, and body of the rails, the distinctive features ofwhich will now be set forth in detail.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the railroad-rail, havingformed upon the upper portion of the base and the under portion of itshead the inclined flattened seats'a a,

extending throughout its length, for a purpose hereinafter to bementioned. B is a metallic sheath, formed in one piece, of Bessemersteel, or its equivalent, to envelop the sides and base of the rails,and to gripe only against the sloping parts of the rails under theheads, and against the sloping top of the flanges or lower heads ofsame, forming the base of the rails. The sheath is so formed that itsinternal or external figure, when produced, will nearly correspond tothe external shape of the rail, the top portion of the sheath being soshaped that its projecting supports or arms will project a little beyondthe sides underneath the heads of the rails. The internal surfaces ofthe sheath, at the parts intended to bear against the sloping underportion of the heads and the sloping top portions of the base of therails,are formed throughout its length with inclined flattened seats bb, so

as to fit smoothly and. snugly upon the said inclinedsloping portions 41a, of the rail A;j

hence, when the sheath is placed upon the rails, and-its said oppositeflattened parts or sides are drawn or held tightly against the rails,the said two inclined flat portions will act in conjunction and permitthe sheath to be evenly and nicely seated, and afford vertical strengthand elasticity. O G are metallic fish-plates, the bolt hole or holes inonehaving a smooth interior surface, and the hole or holes in the othera threaded one or threaded ones, so that the latter serves the'pnrposeof a long immovable nut for a bolt orbolts, D, and both fish-plates notonly serve to keep tight and strengthen the sheath B, but afford greatadditional vertical and lateral support to the ends of the railsjointed. These fishplates are each formed of Bessemer steel, or itsequivalent, with inclined edges, and are arranged on the outside of thesheath B, as shown, so that when the bolt or bolts D is or are passedthrough one otlthe fish-plates, and thence through the body of the railand the metal sheath, and its or their threaded end or ends is or arescrewed into the threaded fishplate, and screwed up tightly, thefish-plates will be drawn toward each other, and com-:

press or force up against the sides of the rails the embracing andsupporting sheath B at the said inclined flattened surfaces a a b b ofthe rail andsheath, so forming an extremely tight and substantial joint.The projecting arm or extension on the top part of the sheath supportsthe under part of the rail-head, and, by their use, the fish-plates O Oserve as fish or supporting plates, and one of them as a nut for thebolt or bolts D, and, at the same time, the said fish-plate is preventedfrom turning and becoming detached by jolting or other-.

Wise, as it cannot revolve when placed in position, owing toits inclinededges being kept tightly pressed against the sheath B throughoutits'entire length. In securing the whole in position, the bolt or boltsonlyris or are turned, and when the several parts are firmly united bythe bolt or bolts 1), the fish-plates will support the top portions oftheclip, While the latter supports the heads of the rails.

By this construction of the several parts herein shown and mentioned,the ends of the railroad-rails can be firmly and securely boundtogether, and the said fish-plate, so screwed up, will always retain theparts in closeproximity, and prevent the danger of detachment of partscaused by the vibration of trains, so common with ordinary boltsand'nuts.

It will be seen that theentire space outside of the vertical portion ofthe rail is inclosed by the sheath and the external fish-platesthroughout their length, so that they together receive the whole of theweight, and form a strong quadruple girder-joint.

I do not claim, broadly, a clip for embracing the ends ofrailroad-rails, as such is not new; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The sheath B, formed in one piece, with in-' ternal inclined flattenedseats b b, to fit the inclined flattened seats a a of the rail incombination with the external fish-plates O 0, formed with inclinededges, the several parts constructed as shown, and united together bythe bolt or bolts D, in the manner and for the purpose set forth, toform a quadruple girderjoint for rails, or a rail'joint, as described,with four vertical supporting parts to the heads of the rails.

ALFRED BUCKINGHAM IBBOTSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN GEORGE SHILLITO, J OSEPH COOPER.

